About This Masters Degree

Course Description

The Finance MBA is designed for candidates with degrees or relevant business backgrounds, who wish to develop their expertise and further their professional careers.

The course will be of particular interest to:

Graduates who have professional experience in the financial sector; Managers and accountants in public and private organisations who wish to develop their financial management skills; Managers employed in the financial services industry; Graduates contemplating a career in the banking and financial services industry; Graduates who have relevant practical experience and wish to enhance their skills in the areas of banking and finance; Finance professionals (like corporate treasurers and accountants) who deal with the financial services industry.

Course Structure

January intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of January to June and September to January and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.

September intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of September to June and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.

Compulsory modules:

Organisations and People: This module examines key issues arising from contemporary research in organisational behaviour (OB) and human resource management (HRM). It provides an integrated analysis of management, organisations and people, developing the conceptual, strategic and practical skills necessary for managers in complex, global organisational contexts.

Management Research: This module analyses the philosophical basis for research in the management sciences, and examines a number of key methodological issues and approaches. Research designs for both quantitative and qualitative research methodologies are developed, including interviews, case studies, focus groups, surveys and experiments.

Global Financial Markets: This module provides an overview of financial markets and instruments in a global context, taking account of insights from portfolio theory concerning the relationship between risk and return, the diversification of risk, and the pricing of assets.

Portfolio Management: This module evaluates the development of investment strategies for bonds and equities, which are designed to achieve optimal risk-return outcomes. The module builds on the foundations provided in ‘Global Financial Markets’. Emphasis is placed on strategic and tactical asset allocation, and on the measurement and evaluation of the performance of a portfolio of investments.

International Financial Management: In this module the financial management of multinational companies and the influence of macroeconomic, fiscal, currency and political environments on business and financial decision making are examined in an international and global context.

Optional modules (choose 3):

International Strategic Management+: This module analyses strategic decision-making within business. You will develop a critical understanding of the strategic processes of business management, the interconnections with the functional domains of marketing, human resource management and corporate finance, and the management of knowledge systems.

Marketing Financial Services+ : This module surveys the tools of modern financial services marketing, focussing on the key methods of financial services marketing in the acquisition of customers and sale and distribution of financial services. The module progresses considering consumer behaviour, the changing customer demands, consumer heuristics and biases and ways in which financial services marketing has succeeded and failed.

Islamic Finance: This module provides an insight into topical issues relating to Islamic financial instruments and related risk management issues. The first part of the module examines issues relating to financial contracting, instruments and various intermediation issues. The second part focuses on the role of the capital market in providing Islamic financing, and highlights financial engineering and risk management features of this type of business.

Financial Modelling: This module develops a combined theoretical and practical approach to mathematical modelling for specialists in finance. The module emphasises numerical methods and other analytic approaches to financial modelling.

Financial Institutions Strategic Management: This module examines the main theoretical and practical issues concerning banking business. You will develop a critical awareness of the theory of the banking firm, the motives for international banking, and regulatory and structural issues impacting on bank behaviour.

Financial Crises and Bank Regulation: This module examines why banks and financial markets are inherently vulnerable to crises, and analyses the role of policy makers and institutions. The roles of monetary policy, bank supervision and regulation, corporate governance and ratings agencies in mitigating or exacerbating crises are considered.

Contemporary Issues in Management: This module develops several theories and concepts in contemporary management theory and practice. It provides a detailed and critical analysis of management, further developing the conceptual, strategic and practical skills necessary for managers in complex, global organisational contexts.

Islamic Banking*: This module provides an insight into the key features of Islamic banking business. The first part of the course outlines the theoretical foundations and development of Islamic banking practices. In particular, the main characteristics of various types of Islamic banking products are discussed. The second part of the course examines the operational features of Islamic banks, focusing on their performance and how they compete with conventional interest-based banks. The final part of the course outlines contemporary challenges to Islamic banking business.

Visit the
Finance (MBA)
page on the Bangor University website for more details!

Entry Requirements

Entry to the MA Finance requires a 2(ii) degree in a relevant subject, e.g. economics, finance, accounting or management. Alternatively, possession of a suitable professional qualification and relevant practical experience may also be accepted. In general, however, applicants are judged on their individual merits and age, work experience and other factors are also considered. A two-year programme, with the first year as a "qualifying year", is also available for students whose backgrounds are different from those outlined above in order to prepare them more fully for their MSc Finance studies.

Last Updated

28 July 2017

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